Reflux - ranitidine not working - what else can you suggest?

[lainey1802]

Help please!! Just fresh out of Soton General and my son is recovering from Guillain-barre syndrome. He hasnt been eating well for the past 10 days now and refuses hot dinners - whole body language suggests reflux even when he sees the plate! He has eaten cold puddings - at a real push but has brought them back up now and I will be going to the GP in the morning.

He's had relux for years and it has been controlled with ranitidine twice a day and gaviscon after meals but he's never been this bad at even refusing weetabix and being sick when he's even looked at a dinner. Did try omeprazole a while back but it made his bowels quite loose so we changed back to ranitidine.

What else can anyone suggest for serious reflux? He must be hungry by now bless him!

Thanks - look forward to your suggestions ready for seeing GP tomorrow am

sorry lainey1802 have only just noticed your message, but the ranitidine may have stopped working because your son's body has grown more of the receptors that ranitidine is blocking. I'm afraid omeprazole was what we went onto when ds2 stopped responding to ranitidine, but there are other drugs in that family (called proton pump inhibitors or PPIs) which you might be able to try. There's also domperidone which helps the passage of food through the digestive system, and is usually tried in combination with another drug - have you tried that yet?

also although we didn't need it many kids with reflux get help from a SALT or OT who might be able to address issues such as refusing food, so you could talk to your GP|or consultant if you think that might be worthwhile.

On a positive note reflux always seems to get worse when kids are ill and he might improve by himself. hoping this will be the case for you.

Thanks mummypig (love the name by the way!).
Went to GP today and have upped the ranitidine by doubling the dose and introduced domperidone and he took the first dose of that ok (sounds like expensive champagne doesn't it?).

The GP did say that it could be the ibuprofen that hes been on for a while (pain with syndrome) that may be aggrivating the reflux and this may have caused a flair up. We did see a lovely SALT in hospital and she thought he was definately making choices with what he wanted to eat - refusing hot dinners and only having puddings. He does normally eat ok (ish) and was a human dustbin with eating hospital food fine (!!) so maybe it was just the sever reflux putting him off - you or I could say no thanks it really hurts if I eat that but he doesn't have that luxury.

Thanks for your help, will remember the PPI's for next visit to GP if this doesnt work.

Hi Lainey glad to hear he is out of hospital. Hope his recovery is progressing steadily.
I (adult of course) was happy on ranatadine but had awful trouble after my little stay in HDU but a change to a different ppi (in my case gastro resistant Lansoprazole on waking) did the trick! I have since been able to drop the dose, once the inflammation ( which really does put you off your food!) had reduced. Hope your sons new meds work. Is he able to chew and swallow OK? Puddings are often easier to eat. If his speech has not yet recovered would pictures help him choose what he fancies?

Thanks magso,
I found some lansoprazole at the top of the kitchen cupboard this pm so we must have tried that one at some time - just cant remember the reason why we never stuck with it. He hasn't been as bad today, yesterday even looking at food made him refluxy. He has problems in that he doesn't chew and food has to be wet and we have had to revert back to pureed for a while. He's not vocal with speech, just sounds and he would choose rolo puddings for breakfast, lunch and dinner if he could - we use photo's of objects, just not a healthy diet....! Watch this space, hoping to see a change in the next day or so.

Hoping your ds is getting better lainey.